> Other than that, I totally agree with your
> comments. Image building is ONLY money
> wasted for small business.

I used to agree with this - for a long time.... However, Jon Spoelstra's book "Marketing Outrageously" (in particular) recently changed my mind on this.

If you accept that people essentially buy on emotion, then I don't see how you can discount image building. Successful image building is both creating a unique position in the mind of the prospect, as well as helping to create an emotional attachment to that product....

If the emotional attachment is important - as most people say it is - then how can it be irrelevant? In fact, I would say that most successful direct marketing ads also build an "image" or an "identity" for the product, as well as get people to "buy it now".... I think Joe Sugarman's various ads are often a good example of this.

Anyhow.... if everybody agreed on everything, the world would be a boring place. ;)

- Dien Rice